Tag Archives: Jason Kipnis

It has become a yearly tradition that we look at all the former MLB All-Stars that aren’t having very good years.

The season is a little more than half over and it’s not too late for some of these players to bounce back and turn their seasons around. You can look at our Un-All-Star team article last year, many bounced back and finished strong.

Since I’m an active fantasy baseball owner, it didn’t take me long to make this list. I spent most of my time just baffled that some of these guys were actually All-Stars at one point.

The old benchmark for an All-Star was thrown out with the bathwater when Bud Selig decided each team must have at least one representative in the All-Star Game.

The Cleveland Indians had a remarkable run in the playoffs last year. If the Chicago Cubs didn’t have Aroldis Chapman, the Indians would have taken home the title. The Cubs didn’t have another reliever that could hold off Cleveland’s hot bats.

The Indians added one of the league’s best power hitters this offseason. Edwin Encarnacion is icing on the cake since Cleveland already had a lethal batting order. This means Kipnis, Lindor and Brantley will see better pitches if Encarnacion is hitting behind them.

The Indians have some of their starters back after they began to fall like flies late last year. Will they run away with the AL Central or will the Tigers keep pace?

Terry Francona has now had three-straight winning seasons as manager in Cleveland. His rosters haven’t been as loaded as his past Red Sox teams, but he has squeezed every bit out of his teams in Cleveland.

The AL Central has represented the American League in three out of the last four World Series. The Royals are expected to be one of the favorites to appear in their third-straight. I wouldn’t count out the Tigers either.

The Indians were quiet this offseason. They haven’t made any big moves and currently expected to finish in the middle in the Central. Will they make a big trade during the season?

Second base was one of the thinnest positions last year, but due players like Anthony Rendon and Brian Dozier, it’s now extremely deep. There is a group of young second baseman in MLB that have surpassed guys like Chase Utley and Brandon Phillips. The position should be deep for quite some time.

How will Javier Baez and Rougned Odor fare in their first full seasons in the Majors?

My 2nd base fantasy baseball rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

1. Robinson Cano – Seattle Mariners – Cano has been the consensus #1 second baseman for quite some time. He proved last season that getting a fat paycheck didn’t affect his on-the-field performance. He’s good for .300+ with double-digit power and the ability to drive in 90 runs.

Cleveland have back-to-back winning records under manager Terry Francona. We expected him to improve the team, but didn’t expect it at this rate.

The AL Central produced two playoff teams in 2014. The Tigers won the division, but it was the Royals that made the most noise. They lost to the Giants in the World Series. The Indians were only three games out of the final Wild Card spot.

The Indians were quiet this offseason. Their only marquee acquisition was trading for Brandon Moss. They come into 2015 with nearly the same squad that went 85-77.

Can Cleveland starting rotation overachieve or will they be in trouble?

The pool of available second baseman is never deep. It’s one of the thinnest positions in fantasy baseball. This year is no different. After the first 15, you’re picking through the scraps of platoon players and young players who haven’t proven themselves in the Majors.

Does Jason Kipnis have a shot of dethroning Robinson Cano has the best fantasy second baseman?

My 2nd base fantasy baseball rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

1. Robinson Cano – Seattle Mariners – Cano has been the consensus #1 second baseman for quite some time. He got PAID (yes, capital letters) this offseason. I usually predict regression once a player signs a long-term deal worth the GDP of a small country, but Cano is as consistent as they come.

2. Jason Kipnis – Cleveland Indians – I love Jason Kipnis. He helps you in every category. Not only does he hit near 20 homers, but he bats .280 and steals 30 bases. I will definitely be targeting him in nearly every fantasy baseball league I’m in this year.

Did anyone see the Cleveland Indians making the playoffs last season? If you did, you were either on drugs or had too many Great Lakes Christmas Ales. We all knew the Detroit Tigers would win the division and Minnesota would be in the basement. The Indians, Royals and White Sox were all interchangeable. No team was expected to beat out any AL West or AL East team for a Wild-Card spot.

New manager Terry Francona had a chip on his shoulder for the way things ended in Boston. He turned things around in a hurry, but did things happen too fast?

Front offices get playoff drunk and make poor decisions. Once a team makes the playoffs after a drought, they assume they’ll be playing in October every year. If they fail to make the playoffs this season, would Francona be on the hot seat?

Can a starting rotation with Justin Masterson as their #1 starter, be taken seriously? Will John Axford last the entire season as their closer?